1. Is there something Wrong with your calling card?
Nibu Thomas
GT Nexus – an Infor Company

2. What’s Ahead What can a résumé tell us? What IS it telling us instead?
Is there something to fix?
And then what?

3. No technical writers were hurt in the making of this presentation.
DISCLAIMER
No technical writers were hurt in the making of this presentation.
I hope!

4. What is a résumé to a writer?
A writer’s first written test
Only opportunity that everyone gets to make an impression
It’s not about including everything… as much as including the right things.
And that’s why it’s your Calling card

5. What went wrong? It was a perfect match for your skills.
What could have happened?
It was a perfect match for your skills.
Not even an acknowledgement!

6. What can a résumé tell us about the candidate
Organization
Presentation
Detail oriented
Process oriented
Logical reasoning
Research skills
Thought process
Prioritization
Thoughtfulness
Creativity
_________________________
READING _________________________

7. What’s In a Name? How have you named your file?
It’s the first impression, even before the file is opened
What format? PDF
Check file properties
Must have
Name
Position applied
Experience

8. Objective
Does your objective end as soon as you get hired? … or does it start?
Assume you have the job. Now what’s your objective?
Everyone seems to have the same one otherwise
Don’t state the obvious
Not generic – make it different. Meaningful
Relevant to specific role
Not a 90’s concept.

9. Should not be variations of…
To obtain a position where I can contribute my skills resulting in mutually beneficial relationship between my employer, team and myself.
Think beyond documentation. How can you improve the product or service. That should be your objective. Documentation is incidental.
So what should it be …

10. Don’t use adjectives/cringe phrases
It’s meaningless and unqualified
It’s merely an opinion – your own opinion
Creates noise
Avoid phrases/words like
Single handedly – what about the other hand?
Seasoned/veteran/ - with pepper or salt?
Highly qualified -
Hard worker – raises alarms!
Can work as a team player or Individual contributor as opposed to what?
Honest - ?

11. Structure Digital (Machine readable) Reverse chronological
Education – unless exceptional – don’t include score!
Confessions/Declarations at the end
Should it be professionally done?

12. Personal Information Photographs What you look like doesn’t matter.
It could backfire
Gender, age, date of birth, father’s name, marital status, nationality, passport number, food preferences, allergies – none of this should matter.
Look at the JD. Don’t include any unasked information

13. How many pages? What’s the intent? Enough hooks to latch on to
Create curiosity … don’t impress
The shorter it is, lesser your chances to err
Not more than 2 pages
Learn to prioritize, stack rank information and eliminate what’s not important enough

14. Where’s the devil? Details! Typos Dots and Crosses Fonts and bullets
Parallel Construction
Experience in months? 5.1 years is not 5 years one month!
Active voice

15. Tools vs Skills What you do with a tool is a skill
Be aware of what you list as a skill
Plagiarism is not a skill!

16. What are hiring managers looking for?
Exceptional trait(s)
Strong conceptual foundation
Impeccable language
Articulation
Presentation
The only way to get to the best candidate is to ask - Why should I not hire?
Someone better than me
A match and then some

17. Keep your résumé updated
Once every six months
Shows you how you’ve progressed
Clean up stuff that becomes less significant
Get someone else to review it

18. QUESTIONS? thomasnibu@aol.com www.linkedin.com/in/nibu-thomas
All images are sourced from pixabay and google images